Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1887-10-01
CONCERNING BLlaHTs.
How to Destroy the spores OF Rust ant
Smut I'm Grain.


Tho diseases of plants and trees
known rs blights are exceedingly varl-
Gus. but yet similar in many respects
in their characters and history. As
blightS these diseases have been known
for many years. and are by no means
new or unknown. That more has not
been heard of them until recently,
| however, has been due to the fact that
| formerly no systematic methods OF IN
| ycslicatiou have been undertaken to
| learn something of their nature and to
| discover some mean of preventing
! them, while more recently a large
| number Of skillfnl and patient eXperl-
| mcntcrs aud observers have been at
work with them, and what they have
| learned has been widely published
! through agricultural and scieltl &c
| journals, A century ago pear blight
was made a subject of comment and
| inquiry, but the prevailing ignorance
| of that period, not unmixed with super
| stition-a fit mate for ignorance-pre
| vented any useful results. Blight
means, in general, a failure OF vitality
or whitening from some unknown
cause; it is not in any sense a syn
onym for disease, and has been APP
| piled to fruit trees, small fruits, grains,
| roots and other farm crops which are
subject to sudden attacks of disease
that injuro or destroy the plants, fruits
or seeds.
Thus we have pear blight, potato
blight and others which affect a large
number OF plants, but all in a similar
manner. The attack is sudden and
fatal to Il portion or the whole Of q
| plant. 1t is accompanied by conspic-
uously visible symptoms-a change
of color, decay and final death OF
the plant, These symptoms pos
sess u remarkable similarity in
appearance, and when examined
are found to be equally similar in their
internal characters, Whitening of the
foliage, decay of the stems, rotting
of the fruit or tubers, and generally II
blackening Of these parts, accompanied
by the mycclium of fungi, which in
time produces seed i. the form OF black
smut or red and yellow rust. The
smuts Of grains, the rot of potatoes, the
rusts OF grains and various plants, the
black rot and mildew of grapes, the
mildcws of gooseborrics, cUrrants, peas
and othcrplants; the yel!ows of pcachcs,
the fire blight of the pear, apple and
ounce; the black knot OF the plum and
cherry--all these fall under the generic
term of "blight,' and all possess very
much the same characters and produce
similar results.
Recent Investigations have proved
that they are all parasitic and due to
various kindso OF fungi, which can be d.
vided into classes, but which so far are
not clearly understood, and which may
in reality be more closely related than
has been hitherto supposed, and in some
eases may be identical, although found
upon different plants. As all example
Of the present unsatisfactory stage of
our knowledge in regard to these dis
eases, it may be shown how some years
ago it was believed that the rust Of the
barberry was easily communicated to
wheat some years after this was en-
phatically denied, and now the old
opinion Of their identity is revived.
The rusts of blackberry and of wheat
are supposed to be distinct and differ
emit, but we have found them to appear
precisely alike in every respect, even
to the presence of an accompanying
mite which feeds upon the spores on
both plants, and have proved beyond
what we think reasonable doubt thai
rust Of one plant will affect the other.
thus clearly pointing to, ifnot proving,
their identity.
Enough. however, of these forms o
plant diseases is known to give us ;
useful understanding of their natur,
and some indication of the means o
preservation. That they bear Il clos,
analogy to some parasitic diseases o
animals is also known. They are con
tNgiouS; some are accompanied ans
! produced by minute organisms know
rs bacteria or other similar parasite
plants Of a very low order of life, Blu
which will multiply with amazing IA
pidity and soon take possession of an,
, consume Qitcrally and actually thei
victims, by d~isorganizing and feedin
e upon their substance; and they are a
= destroyed by sulphur or preparation
4 of it which have an acrid or antisepti
| character.
q The most recent discoveries in rcgar
= to these blights go to show that the
r appear only in plants upon which the
: are sown, or which are sown IN so
= sown with their seeds, and that the
mostly affect plants whose vigor an
i vitality have been weakened by son
deficiency of food or solne ~unfavorab.
o condition of soil or weather. Thus,
wet season in which fogS are followC
: by very hot sunshine furnishes vel
y favorable conditions for the growth
It rust upon wheat and smut upon cor
and oats. lnfcrtility of soil tends
If the growth of rust upon blackberrie
Wheat which has been smuttcd OF
year, if sown the next will produce
smuttcd crop. The samoi true ofcorI
If and potatoes grown from seed from
n previous years rottcd crop will be q
If fectcd by rot if the season is at 4
= favorable for the growth of the fungj
Il which causes it. Yellows has bee
e produced in peaches by burying d
q eased branches and leaves among t
lo roots of healthy trees, and has a
peared also in trees grown in soil tn
&c is deficient in potash, while the al,
"a ton of potash and lime has caus
H. plum and cherry trees badly affect
a. with black rust to o and reg;
perfect health. 1t has also been lon
I'd that sulphate of copper in solution
m water destroys the spores of the II